Tray attachable to chair of an invalid



Feb. 20, 1968 G. .1. TELA'Rlco TRAY ATTACHABLE TO CHAIR OF AN INVALID Filed Sept. 6, 1966 ZKN n/ Z?) E.

United States Patent O 3,369,839 TRAY ATTACHABLE TO CHAIR F AN INVALID George J. Telarico, 187 Genesee St., Geneva, N.Y. 14456 Filed sept. 6, 1966, ser. No. 577,242 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-150) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A tray assembly for an invalid which can be removably mounted on a chair and wherein the tray can be adjusted to various positions to provide maximum convenience for usage and for the user to mount and leave the chair without removing the tray.

This invention relates generally to trays. More specifically it relates to trays which are removably secured to chairs.

SUMMARY This invention comprises a tray for invalids which can be removably mounted on a chair having arm rests and a back rest wherein said tray is mounted on an understructure which can be transversely adjusted as to its width and includes spaced members spring biased inwardly to accommodate chairs and invalids of varying widths.

An additional feature of this invention is the provision of means for adjusting the length of the understructure to accommodate various sized chairs and invalids.

A further feature is the provision of means for pivoting the tray and supporting understructure about a vertical rear axis to permit the user to conveniently mount or leave the chair without removing the tray.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention shown secured to a chair,

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the invention shown per se,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral represents an improved tray attachable to a chair of an invalid according to the present invention wherein there is a fiat tray member 11 mounted upon an understructure 12 that is removably secured in a frame 13 that is fastened to a support structure 14.

The understructure 12 includes a front mount 15 and rear mount 16. The front mount is comprised of a bracket 17 secured by screws 18 to the underside 19 of the tray, the bracket holding a transverse bar 20. The rear mount 16 comprises a channel 21 secured by screws 22 to the tray underside 19, a sliding rod 23 on each end of the channel and secured in selective position thereto by thumb screws 24, each rod 23 supporting a slidable bar 25 having a hook 26 at its end for attachment to a swivel, each bar being normally urged into retracted position by a tension spring 27, and each rod 23 having a hook 28 at its end for clamping around an L-shaped channel 29 that forms a part of the frame 13.

The frame channel 29 received in one end thereof an end of the bar 20. A wing nut 30 secures the two together. The opposite end of the channel 29 receives an end of a rod 31 having a series of equally spaced openings 32 therein which are selectively engageable by a spring biased lever lock 33 mounted upon the channel 29. The rod 31 rice which forms a part of the frame 13 has an opposite end receivable within a channel 34 that forms a part of a hinge 35; there being a ball pin fastener 36 for securing the rod 31 thereto. The hinge member includes a transverse channel 37 into which one end of a transverse support bar 38 is received. The bar 38 is secured by screws 39 or the like to the rear side 40 of a back rest 41 of a chair v42.

In operative use the tray assembly 10 rests upon the arms 43 of the chair, and the tray may be upwardly tilted about the hinges35 so to permit a person to move into or out of the chair. The tray may be disconnected from the supporting structure or the frame by means of the above described various thumb screws and the lever lock on each L-shaped channel.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a tray attachable to a chair of an invalid, the combination of a flat tray member, an understructure mounted on the underside of said tray, said understructure being removably secured in a frame, said frame being fastened to a support structure that is securable to a rear side of a back rest of a chair and said tray being supported in a horizontal position by resting upon the arm rests of said chair, wherein said understructure comprises a front mount and a rear mount, said front mount comprising a transverse bar supported at its center in a bracket secured to said tray underside, and said rear mount comprises a channel secured to said underside, a sliding rod receivable within each end of said channel and secured thereto by a thumb screw, each slidable rod supporting a slidable bar having a hook at its end for attachment to a swivel, each bar being normally urged into a retracted position for securement with said swivel by means of a tension spring, each said bar having a hook for clamping around an L- shaped channel comprising a part of said frame.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame comprises a pair of said L-shaped channels, one end of each of said L-shaped channels receiving one end of said front mount transverse bar, and a pair of rods, one end of each of said rods being receivable within the other end of said L-shaped channel, each of said rods having a plurality of spaced apart openings engageable with a spring -biased lever lock mounted on said L-shaped channel.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support structure comprises a transverse bar, means for securing said transverse bar to a rear side of said seat back rest, the ends of said bar being receivable within a first channel forming an element of a hinge member, said hinge member having a second channel element for receiving therein the opposite end of said rod having said spaced apart openings, a thumb screw for securing said transverse bar in said iirst channel and a ballpin fastener for securing said rod having said spaced apart openings within said second channel of said hinge member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 727,866 5/ 1903 Washburn 297-154 X 1,361,504 12/1920 Snideman 297-154 X 2,478,280 8/1949 Kroll et al 297-151 2,532,556 12/ 1950 Keough 297-150 3,123,397 3/1964 Murcott 297-150 3,146,738 9/1964 Telarico.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

